Super Reviewer ½ Juzo Itami creates one piece of work in Tampopo, a film that centers around ramen. This movie will make you hungry for noodles. I don't care if you are sick or you just ate. You will be hungry for noodles. When it comes down to it, this film is about a group of people that help turn a middle aged woman's cheap ramen shop into the best one in town. However, there is much more in this movie than just that. Why? I do not know. The beginning starts off with a man talking to the audience (you) about manners while watching a movie. The opening credits is then in black and white and finally we are under way. The story is interesting and there is sort of a childish tone to it, which keeps things fun. Speaking of fun, throughout this film there are scenes that have just no meaning in here. There are a few love scenes, an old woman in a grocery store, a man rushing home to his dying wife, etc. The ONLY thing these scenes have in common is food. The love scenes involve food as an aphrodisiac. There is nudity and all. The old woman in the grocery store is smashing food with her fingers.

The man rushes home to his dying wife so she can cook her last meal. Why are these scenes there? To make the movie longer? To make the story more entertaining? No matter the reason, they are there and they will get people laughing. Nobuko Miyamoto and Tsutomu Yamazaki both carry this movie nicely and the supporting cast follow their leaders. Tampopo is one film that is hard to pass up. Also, what is up with the end credits? JY Skacto Super Reviewer Dandelion You cannot watch this movie and not want to eat noodles. I couldn't wait until after it was over; I had to pause it half way through this time and cook up a bowl for myself. It's the same problem I have watching a good cook on the Food Network. Nothing like ushering out the old and welcoming in the new year with great homemade ramen. Very fulfilling fare. Lanning : ) Tampopo Reviews & Ratings - IMDb IMDb 53 out of 59 people found the following review useful: My All-Time Favorite Movie! from San Francisco, CA 25 July 2002 I just keep watching this movie over and over again. Why? It's hard to say exactly.

Sure, the acting is great and the story is terrific, but what makes "Tampopo" so special is harder to define. I like to think of it as optimism; the belief that people in this world still do nice things for other people. Or maybe that romance can strike when you least expect it. Sure, this is a movie about food, you've heard all about that, but more importantly it's a movie about people. People working together, eating together, striving together, and accomplishing together. The script is flawless. Every scene blends into the next, and takes you someplace new. The narrative sidetracks away from the main story from time to time, leading to the most conceptual and entertining scenes. Tampopo is an adventure on a very small and personal scale. It's a charming movie, unlike any other I've seen, well worth a look. Was the above review useful to you? 34 out of 38 people found the following review useful: Made me want to get a bowl of noodles immediately. from New York City 10 July 2003 I watched this movie for the first time last night and I have to say, it was awesome.

This is one of those rare movies that are made with so much emotion, you can't help but be affected by what's going on before your eyes. I found the movie to be funny, touching, shocking, sensual, weird, thoughtful, cute, etc. The love of food is apparent throughout the entire movie. It kind of reminded me of Like Water for Chocolate, the way food was revered in the story. The movie is done in an interesting way. Mainly, it's about a woman named Tampopo who is left in charge of her husband's noodle shop after he dies. Having problems with maintaining a general quality to the place, especially with the cooking, she receives assistance from a rugged cowboy-type. Along with several other characters, they help to turn the place into something special. Occasionally, the story veers away from this plot to follow other characters in food-related scenes. For instance, there's a vignette about a group of girls being taught how to eat noodle soup properly by an etiquette teacher at a restaurant. They notice another patron in the restaurant, sucking at his noodles loudly but clearly enjoying them.

The girls then do the same thing, prompting the teacher to follow suit, all of them sucking away at their noodles with the most exaggerated sound effects I have ever heard. This results in a scene so hilarious that I had to stop it and rewind it after it was done. Soon after, the story goes back to Tampopo and the other characters in her universe. There's other characters that are returned to periodically, like this white-suited gangster and his moll. Their scenes are erotically charged and quite striking. It was funny but at the same time it just grabbed me attention wise. There's a moment where they pass a raw egg yolk back and forth through each others mouths without rupturing it. It's done slowly and erotically, the two lovers obviously enjoying this really weird thing we're seeing. I have to say I've never really seen anything like that in a movie. All in all, I was pretty much entranced from the moment the movie began. I really didn't think I was going to enjoy it this much! It's really funny and it shows a side to Japanese cuisine and how serious it is taken there that I had never known before viewing this.

I recommend this movie from top to bottom and I think it has deservedly earned a spot in my all-time faves list! If you are interested in Japanese culture and you appreciate food in the least, you owe it to yourself to track a copy of this down and watch it, especially if you like a good bowl of ramen! RATING: ***** out of *****. from End of the World, USA 23 September 2004 This movie is not, I repeat, is not intended for the typical movie goer. It is not to be forgotten a day after having been seen. It should be watched repeatedly, gone over with a solid spoon for thorough digesting. Not everyone who sees it will love it at first. But anyone who gives it a willing and open mind will find a deep respect within drawing them further into the movie. Should the simple viewer happen upon this movie, it is necessary to understand that it is not an American movie and only slightly emulates one, therefore it must be expected that certain aspects of the film will escape one at first.

There will be certain chapters of the film which appeal more than others, but it is crucial to make an effort to be considerate of the fact that Juzo Itami was not necessarily making Tampopo up to be an international success. What is truly mindblowing is that this movie is nearly twenty years old! I am completely in awe each time I see this movie, and it never fails to make me stop and watch as Goro is instructing Tampopo on why the customer must, MUST, be observed upon entering the shop while Gun complains that the pork slices are too thin. Slap, slap, don't you want to see how the customer reacts? Isn't it strange? How do we relate in this tale? Pick it up, become an addict, never see another movie the same way ever again. Was the above review useful to you? 26 out of 32 people found the following review useful: Itami's style fits nicely from USA 29 July 2003 The way each scene in Tampopo seems to lead into the next really jarred me when I first started to watch it. Movies with multiple plot lines will often create glaring differences between the scenes, but Itami did the opposite.

Ending the bicycle workout scene (with Goro and Tampopo) with the business party walking into the restaurant where the "How to eat Italian food" lesson took place, which, upon conclusion found the camera following a waiter BACK to the business party all occurred seamlessly and left a grin on my face no one else in the room understood. In fact, the pace of the film is very conducive to the second and third viewings. Well, that's my excuse for why none of my friends found it quite as entertaining. Was the above review useful to you? 21 out of 24 people found the following review useful: Beautiful Film, A Classic from United Kingdom 25 February 2007 I first saw this film on TV around 1990 and loved it. Its one of those films that you put on your mental list of films to see again. My girlfriend managed to buy an Japanese import subtitled version for Xmas and we sat down to watch. Tampopo is a film that starts interesting and slowly draws you in until you realise you sat for an hour and a half mesmerised.

Its one of those films that when the lights go up you're not sure what you just watched but somehow it all made sense and you know it was very special. This is a film for life. I won't watch it every week but everyone I loaned it to came back with the same comments as myself. There are moments of sheer beauty that make your eyes fill up with joy. Several times I had to hold back a sniff, Damn I wanna cook noodles now. If Tampopo doesn't capture your heart then maybe you miss the point of film making as an art. Was the above review useful to you? 17 out of 19 people found the following review useful: The Wild Bunch at the noodle shop. Slurp! from United States 6 October 2002 There are any number of very funny scenes in this lightly plotted and highly episodic romantic comedy from acclaimed Japanese director Juzo Itami. You may recall him as the guy who got in trouble with the Yakuza, the Japanese "mafia," because they didn't like the way he made fun of them in Minbo no onna (1992).

You may also know that he committed suicide at the age of 64 in 1997 after being accused of adultery. He is the son of samurai film maker Mansaku Itami. I mention this since one of the things satirized here are samurai films. But--and perhaps this is the secret of Itami's success both in Japan and elsewhere--the satire is done with a light, almost loving touch. Even though he also takes dead aim at spaghetti westerns and the Japanese love affair with food, especially their predilection for fast food noodle soup, at no time is there any rancor or ugliness in his treatment. If you've seen any Itami film you will be familiar with his star, his widow, Nobuko Miyamoto, she of the very expressive face, who is perhaps best known for her role as the spirited tax collector in Itami's The Taxing Woman (1987) and The Taxing Woman Returns (1988). She has appeared in all of his films. Here she is Tampopo ("Dandelion"), a not entirely successful proprietor of a noodle restaurant.

Along comes not Jones but Tsutmu Yamazaki as Goro, a kind of true grit, but big-hearted Japanese urban cowboy. He ambles up to the noodle bar and before long establishes himself as a kind of John Wayne hero intent on teaching Tampopo how the good stuff is made. Along the way Itami makes fun of stuffy bureaucrats, macho Japanese males, heroic death scenes, Japanese princesses attempting to acquire a European eating style, movie fight scenes, and God knows what else. The comedy is bizarre at times. The sexual exchange of an egg yoke between the man in the white suit (Koji Yakusho) and his mistress (Fukumi Kuroda) might make you laugh or it might just gross you out. The enthusiastic description of the "yam sausages" from inside a wild boar is strange. Surely one is not salivating at such an entre, but one can imagine that such a "delicacy" might surely exist and have its devotees. Indeed an Itami film has a kind of logic all its own.

An exemplary scene is that of the stressed and dying mother of two young children, who is ordered by her husband to "Get up and cook!" This (reasonably relevant) scene is juxtaposed with the one with the college professor which is about being and getting ripped off--which seems to have little to do with the rest of the movie, yet somehow seems appropriate, perhaps only because they are at a restaurant. Another typical Itami scene is the businessmen at supper. They hem and haw until their chief orders and then they all pretend to debate and consider, and then order exactly the same thing except for one brash young guy who dazzles (and embarrasses) the old sycophantic guys by order a massive meal in French with all the trimmings. The climax of the film comes with plenty of musical fanfare. As Goro and others sit down at the counter, they are served Tampopo's final culinary creation, the noodle soup now hopefully honed to perfection. As the tension mounts, a musical accompaniment, reminiscent of something like the clock ticking in High Noon (1952), rises to a crescendo.

All the while Tampopo sweats and frets and prays that she will triumph, which will be in evidence if, and only if, they drain their soup bowls! (Do they?) The final credits roll (after some further misdirections and some further burlesque) over a most endearing and ultimately touching shot of a young mother with a beautiful and contented infant feeding at her breast. Perhaps this was Itami's best film. (Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!) Was the above review useful to you? 14 out of 16 people found the following review useful: A classic of world cinema from the big screen 15 November 2006 This remains one of the better comedies of all time due to star performances, a superb script, and many, many surprises. Above all, the pacing is some of the best seen in any comedy. Tampopo has all the qualities of good story telling: a hero, a disciple, a quest.

And when your hero is a trucker, the disciple a woman in need of help, and the quest to cook the best noodles then you know you're in for fun. In between all this are vignettes on how food and life mingle. It is more than simple laughs there are moments of poignancy, and genuine flights of imagination. Many directors could do well to watch the ease with which the camera is handled here: the plot flows beautifully and the switches to the small vignettes are handled with suitable aplomb. All in all a three course meal. Was the above review useful to you? 14 out of 19 people found the following review useful: Many unforgettable scenes from Bad Aibling, Germany 25 January 2002 When I saw it again after many years, I discovered how many impressive, unique, unparalleled scenes are included in TAMPOPO - I remembered my astonishment when first watching them. I was astonished how surprising these scenes were, how unexpected, how strange and weird and fascinating. Try it yourself! It's unbelievable, this free flow of thoughts and odd ideas. It opens your mind. It teaches to respect your food. It makes you love Japan. PS: listen carefully to "The Old Master".

He appears very soon. Was the above review useful to you? 20 out of 32 people found the following review useful: Indescribably GOOD !!! from Netherlands 30 June 1999 This is a MUST SEE. It's probably the funniest film I've ever seen. It's so original and so funny and you feel good afterwards. I can't describe it; just go and see this movie. I promise you you won't regret it. Was the above review useful to you? 8 out of 9 people found the following review useful: Makes you HUNGRY! 12 December 2003 *** This review may contain spoilers *** Loved this film when I first saw it in 1987. The story is wonderful: A trucker helps this young widow, who has a young son, improve her noodle business. He gets some help along the way from several individuals. The funny part of the film is that it doesn't just concentrate on this story, but goes off the beaten path, showing little stories on the way. The common link? Food.

It's interesting how food blends into everything that is done in the movie (An old woman that has a fetish for squeezing soft foods, an etiquette class changes young women when they watch a man eat spaghetti). Called a "noodle western" for a good reason: The mysterious stranger helping a widow in distress. This is an excellent film, but you will get VERY hungry watching it. Was the above review useful to you? Page 1 of 8: Tampopo (Film) - TV Tropes Man in White : The Yakuza character. Nice Hat : Goro's cowboy hat. He even wears it in the bath! Overcomplicated Menu Order : There's a scene where a bunch of businessmen visit a French restaurant. Each person defers up the ladder of seniority until the CEO of the company orders (something bland and safe for people new to French cuisine, as I recall.) Each person down the chain of command promptly orders the same thing—except the most junior executive. He turns out to be an expert on French food, and makes a complex order that thrills the waiter, but embarrasses the heck out of everyone else. This is also somewhat of a commentary at traditional Japanese business etiquette.

The exec the henpecked junior guy works for is so preoccupied with not losing face in front of his superiors that he and the others all just order the same thing that the CEO has. Public Domain Soundtrack : The movie uses Mahler in several places. Also Liszt. Ramen Slurp : A sketch revolves around it. Serious Business : The preparation and consumption of food, as most of the characters see it. Ramen : definition of Ramen and synonyms of Ramen (English) 13 External links History Ramen is of Chinese origin, [1] [2] however it is unclear when ramen was introduced to Japan . Even the etymology of the word ramen is a topic of debate. One theory is that ramen is the Japanese pronunciation of the Chinese lamian (拉麺), [3] meaning "hand-pulled noodles." A second theory proposes 老麺 (laomian, "old noodles") as the original form, while another states that ramen was initially 鹵麺 (lǔmiàn), noodles cooked in a thick, starchy sauce.

A fourth theory is that the word derives from 撈麵 (lāomiàn, " lo mein "), which in Cantonese 撈 means to "stir", and the name refers to the method of preparation by stirring the noodles with a sauce. Until the 1950s, ramen was called shina soba (支那そば, literally "Chinese soba ") but today chūka soba (中華そば, also meaning "Chinese soba ") or just Ramen (ラーメン) are more common, as the word "支那" (shina, meaning "China") acquired a pejorative connotation. [4] By 1900, restaurants serving Chinese cuisine from Canton and Shanghai offered a simple ramen dish of noodles (cut rather than hand pulled), a few toppings, and a broth flavored with salt and pork bones. Many Chinese also pulled portable food stalls, selling ramen and gyōza dumplings to workers.

By the mid 1900s, these stalls used a type of a musical horn called a charumera (チャルメラ, from the Portuguese charamela) to advertise their presence, a practice some vendors still retain via a loudspeaker and a looped recording. By the early Shōwa period , ramen had become a popular dish when eating out. After World War II , cheap flour imported from the U.S. swept the Japanese market. At the same time, millions of Japanese troops had returned from China and continental East Asia from their posts in the Second Sino-Japanese War . Many of these returnees had become familiar with Chinese cuisine and subsequently set up Chinese restaurants across Japan. Eating ramen, while popular, was still a special occasion that required going out. In 1958, instant noodles were invented by Momofuku Ando , the Taiwanese-Japanese founder and chairman of Nissin Foods , now run by his son Koki Ando . Named the greatest Japanese invention of the 20th century in a Japanese poll, [5] instant ramen allowed anyone to make this dish simply by adding boiling water.

Beginning in the 1980s, ramen became a Japanese cultural icon and was studied around the world from many perspectives. At the same time, local varieties of ramen were hitting the national market and could even be ordered by their regional names. A ramen museum opened in Yokohama in 1994. [6] Types A wide variety of ramen exists in Japan, with geographical and vendor-specific differences even in varieties that share the same name. Ramen can be broadly categorized by its two main ingredients: noodles and broth. Noodles Fresh ramen Most noodles are made from four basic ingredients: wheat flour, salt, water, and kansui, which is essentially a type of alkaline mineral water, containing sodium carbonate and usually potassium carbonate , as well as sometimes a small amount of phosphoric acid . Originally, kansui was named after the water from Inner Mongolia 's Lake Kan which contained large amounts of these minerals and was said to be perfect for making these noodles. Making noodles with kansui lends them a yellowish hue as well as a firm texture. For a brief time after World War II , low-quality tainted kansui was sold, though kansui is now manufactured according to JAS standards.

Eggs may also be substituted for kansui. Some noodles are made with neither eggs nor kansui and should only be used for yakisoba . Ramen comes in various shapes and lengths. It may be fat, thin, or even ribbon-like, as well as straight or wrinkled. Soup Tonkotsu ramen Miso ramen Ramen soup is generally made from stock based on chicken or pork, combined with a variety of ingredients such as kombu (kelp), katsuobushi ( skipjack tuna flakes), niboshi (dried baby sardines), beef bones, shiitake , and onions , and then flavored with salt, miso , or soy sauce . Other styles that have emerged later on include curry ramen and other flavors. The resulting combination is generally divided into four categories (although new and original variations often make this categorisation less clear-cut): Shio ("salt") ramen is probably the oldest of the four and is a pale, clear, yellowish broth made with plenty of salt and any combination of chicken, vegetables, fish, and seaweed.

Occasionally pork bones are also used, but they are not boiled as long as they are for tonkotsu ramen, so the soup remains light and clear. Chāshū is sometimes swapped for lean chicken meatballs, and pickled plums and kamaboko are popular toppings as well. Noodle texture and thickness varies among shio ramen, but they are usually straight rather than curly. Tonkotsu (豚骨, "pork bone"; not to be confused with tonkatsu ) ramen usually has a cloudy white colored broth. It is similar to the Chinese baitang (白湯) and has a thick broth made from boiling pork bones, fat, and collagen over high heat for many hours, which suffuses the broth with a hearty pork flavor and a creamy consistency that rivals milk or melted butter or gravy (depending on the shop). Most shops, but not all, blend this pork broth with a small amount of chicken and vegetable stock and/or soy sauce. The noodles are thin and straight, and it is often served with beni shoga (pickled ginger).

In recent years the latest trend in tonkotsu toppings is māyu (マー油/ 麻油 ), a blackish, aromatic oil made from either charred crushed garlic or Sesame seeds . It is a specialty of Kyūshū , particularly Hakata-ku, Fukuoka (hence sometimes called "Hakata ramen"). Shōyu ("soy sauce") ramen typically has a brown and clear color broth, based on a chicken and vegetable (or sometimes fish or beef) stock with plenty of soy sauce added resulting in a soup that’s tangy, salty, and savory yet still fairly light on the palate. Shōyu ramen usually has curly noodles rather than straight ones, but this is not always the case. It is often adorned with marinated bamboo shoots or menma , green onions, kamaboko (fish cakes), nori (seaweed), boiled eggs, bean sprouts and/or black pepper ; occasionally the soup will also contain chili oil or Chinese spices, and some shops serve sliced beef instead of the usual chāshū. Miso ramen is a relative newcomer, having reached national prominence around 1965.

This uniquely Japanese ramen, which was developed in Hokkaido , features a broth that combines copious amounts of miso and is blended with oily chicken or fish broth – and sometimes with tonkotsu or lard – to create a thick, nutty, slightly sweet and very hearty soup. Miso ramen broth tends to have a robust, tangy flavor, so it stands up to a variety of flavorful toppings: spicy bean paste or tōbanjan ( 豆瓣醤 ), butter and corn, leeks, onions, bean sprouts, ground pork, cabbage, sesame seeds, white pepper, and chopped garlic are common. The noodles are typically thick, curly, and slightly chewy. Seasonings commonly added to ramen are black pepper , butter , chili pepper , sesame seeds , and crushed garlic . Soup recipes and methods of preparation tend to be closely guarded secrets. Some restaurants also offer a system known as kae-dama (替え玉), where customers who have finished their noodles can request a "refill" (for a few hundred yen more) to be put into their remaining soup.

[7] Regional variations While standard versions of ramen are available throughout Japan since the Taisho era , the last few decades have shown a proliferation of regional variations. Some of these which have gone on to national prominence are: Sapporo , the capital of Hokkaido , is especially famous for its ramen. Most people in Japan associate Sapporo with its rich miso ramen, which was invented there and which is ideal for Hokkaidō's harsh, snowy winters. Sapporo miso ramen is typically topped with sweetcorn, butter, bean sprouts, finely chopped pork, and garlic, and sometimes local seafood such as scallop , squid , and crab . Hakodate , [8] another city of Hokkaidō, is famous for its salt flavored ramen, while Asahikawa , [9] in the north of the island, offers soy sauce flavored ones. Kitakata in northern Honshu is known for its rather thick, flat, curly noodles served in a pork-and- niboshi broth. The area within its former city boundaries has the highest per-capita number of ramen establishments.

Ramen has such prominence in the region that locally, the word soba usually refers to ramen, and not to actual soba which is referred to as nihon soba ("Japanese soba"). Tokyo style ramen consists of slightly thin, curly noodles served in a soy-flavoured chicken broth. The Tokyo style broth typically has a touch of dashi , as old ramen establishments in Tokyo often originate from soba eateries. Standard toppings on top are chopped scallion, menma , sliced pork, kamaboko, egg, nori, and spinach. Ikebukuro , Ogikubo and Ebisu are three areas in Tokyo known for their ramen. Yokohama ramen specialty is called Ie-kei (家系). It consists of thick, straight-ish noodles served in a soy flavored pork broth similar to tonkotsu. The standard toppings are roasted pork ( char siu ), boiled spinach, sheets of nori, with often shredded Welsh onion (negi) and a soft or hard boiled egg. It is traditional for customers to call the softness of the noodles, the richness of the broth and the amount of oil they want.

Hakata ramen originates from Hakata district of Fukuoka city in Kyushu . It has a rich, milky, pork-bone tonkotsu broth and rather thin, non-curly and resilient noodles. Often, distinctive toppings such as crushed garlic , beni shoga (pickled ginger), sesame seeds, and spicy pickled mustard greens (karashi takana) are left on tables for customers to serve themselves. Ramen stalls in Hakata and Tenjin are well-known within Japan. Recent trends have made Hakata ramen one of the most popular types in Japan, and several chain restaurants specializing in Hakata ramen can be found all over the country. Tokyo-style ramen Zaru ramen Related dishes There are a number of related, Chinese-influenced noodle dishes in Japan. The following are often served alongside ramen in ramen establishments. They do not include noodle dishes considered traditionally Japanese, such as soba or udon , which are almost never served in the same establishments as ramen. Nagasaki champon . The noodles are thicker than ramen but thinner than udon.

Champon is topped with a variety of ingredients, mostly seafood , stir-fried and dressed in a starchy sauce. The stir-fried ingredients are poured directly over the cooked noodles, with the sauce acting as a soup. Tan-men is a mild, usually salt tasted soup, served with a mix of sauteed vegetables and seafood. Not to be confused with the tantan-men (see after). Wantan-men has long straight noodles and wonton , served in a mild, usually salt tasted soup. Abura soba ("oil-noodles"). Essentially ramen and toppings served without the soup, but with a small quantity of oily soy-based sauce instead. Tsuke-men ("dipping noodles"). The noodles and soup are served in separate bowls. The diner dips the noodles in the soup before eating. Can be served hot or chilled. Tantan-men (担担麺). Japanese version of dan dan noodles , a Sichuan specialty. Ramen in a reddish, spicy chilli and sesame soup, usually containing minced pork, garnished with chopped scallion and chili and occasionally topped with the likes of spinach or Bok Choi (chingensai).

Sanratanmen is very similar to Sichuan hot and sour soup served with long noodles. The topping ingredients are sauteed and a thickener is added, before the mix is poured on the soup and the noodles. Hiyashi-chūka (冷やし中華, "chilled Chinese"). Also known as reimen, esp. in western Japan. A summer dish of chilled ramen on a plate with various toppings (typically thin strips of omelette, ham, cucumber and tomato) and served with a vinegary soy dressing and karashi (Japanese mustard). It was first produced at the Ryutei, a Chinese restaurant in Sendai . Restaurants in Japan Students eating at a ramen restaurant in Tokyo Varieties of restaurants like izakaya drinking establishments, karaoke halls, and amusement parks offer ramen - but the best quality ramen is usually only available in ramen-ya restaurants. The menus in ramen-ya restaurants offer mainly ramen dishes, so they lack much variety. Besides ramen, some of the dishes generally available in a ramen-ya restaurant include fried rice (called Chahan or Yakimeshi), Gyōza (Chinese dumplings), and beer.

Outside Japan For Instant ramen outside Japan, see Instant noodles worldwide . Ramen has become popular in China in recent years where it is known as rìshì lāmiàn (日式拉面, "Japanese Style lamian "). Popular Japanese ramen chains serve ramen alongside distinctly Japanese dishes such as tempura and yakitori , something which would be seen as odd in Japan. Wagamama , a successful UK-based chain serving pan-Asian food mainly in Europe, is known for its noodle soups marketed as ramen (but which are quite different from ramen in Japan). In Korea, ramen is called ramyeon (라면). There are many varieties of Korean ramyeon, such as kimchi -flavored, seafood-flavored and beef-flavored. Some restaurants serve variations of ramyeon containing additional ingredients such as dumplings, tteok , cheese, etc. [10] It is usually served with vegetables, such as carrots and green onions, and eggs on top. In Central Asia the dish has thicker noodles, is significantly spicier, and is known as laghman.

In North America, Japanese instant noodles were imported starting in the 1970s bearing the name "ramen", causing the term "ramen" to be often used in North America to refer to instant noodles. Many restaurants now exist, however, that specialize in Japanese-style ramen, especially in major urban areas with large demand for Asian cuisine . Health concerns See also: Health concerns of instant noodles A serving of ramen is high in carbohydrates and low in vitamins and minerals . Ramen soup tends to be high in sodium . The noodles themselves contain very little sodium so one can avoid drinking the broth if a low-sodium diet is recommended for health reasons. Museum Ramen vending machine The Shin-Yokohama Raumen Museum is a unique museum about ramen. In a gallery on the first floor, the museum presents the history of ramen in Japan, including the big success of instant ramen. It displays the variety of noodles, soups, toppings and bowls used across Japan, and shows how the noodles are made.

On the two basement floors, visitors can explore a 1:1 replica of some streets and houses of Shitamachi , the old town of Tokyo, circa 1958, when the popularity of ramen was rapidly increasing. Nine ramen restaurants can be found there, each featuring a ramen dish from a different region of Japan. For visitors who wish to try multiple ramen dishes, the restaurants offer "mini ramen" small portions. Tickets for the meals are purchased at vending machines in front of each restaurant before entering. [11] Canned version In Akihabara , vending machines distribute warm ramen in a steel can, known as ramen kan (らーめん缶 ? ). It is produced by a popular ramen restaurant and contains noodles, soup, menma , and pork. It is intended as a quick snack, and includes a small folded plastic fork. There are few kinds of flavor such as tonkotsu and curry. [12] In popular culture Tampopo The production and consumption of ramen was a large part of the 1985 Japanese comedy film Tampopo by director Juzo Itami .

Two truck drivers, Goro and Gun ( Tsutomu Yamazaki and Ken Watanabe ), help the widowed Tampopo ( Nobuko Miyamoto ) with her failing ramen shop. Food in every aspect of life is the overarching theme, but the art of good ramen is touched upon several times throughout the film as Goro and Gun help her learn how to make the best ramen. The Ramen Girl The dish is featured in the 2008 comedy The Ramen Girl starring Brittany Murphy as Abby, an American woman stuck in Tokyo after her boyfriend leaves her. One rainy night, feeling lonely and depressed, she wanders over to the local restaurant, is served a bowl of ramen by Maezumi, the owner, played by Toshiyuki Nishida . Maezumi is himself mourning the loss of his son to French, rather than Japanese, cuisine, and reluctantly agrees to train Abby in the art of making ramen, but is an overbearing master, whom she cannot understand but tries so hard to please, in between complaining about how hard she has to work.

See also ramen | reuoq length: 114 minutes watched on: 7 July This was a delight of a film. It was advertised as a “Noodle Western”, which I thought was just a lame pun on “Spaghetti Western” implying that it was a Western made by the Japanese, but actually, it was a film about noodles that heavily used the conventions and tropes of the Western genre. In fact, more than just noodles, it was about Japanese food culture in general. It was also delightfully surreal at times. I’m getting hungry just thinking about it. The main plot of the story involves a woman trying to be successful at running a local ramen bar. She enlists the help of a behatted stranger who shows up in a lorry one day, some kind of lone ranger. The list of supporting characters gradually grows over the course of the movie, and they’re all weird and cool in their own special ways.

Over the course of the movie, the cowboy character has to fight off various obstacles in a typical Western style, culminating in a really quite strange substitute for a shoot-out of two men decking it out underneath a busy highway on an industrial estate, while he forever pushes the woman further on her voyage of discovery. Or something. While the story is interesting, in some ways, what actually made this film stand out were the numerous vinaigrettes (“vignettes” seemed a bit inappropriate for a film about food, so out come the malapropisms!), which each surround an aspect of food culture in Japan. They pop into the story occasionally to break it up into chunks. Some of the more memorable ones include a young intern who humiliates his older superiors by knowing loads more about French cuisine in an expensive restaurant (a massive faux pas, I hear), followed shortly by a woman trying desperately to teach her class of young, impressionable débutante type girls that one should eat spaghetti without slurping, only to be foiled by a fat American slurping loudly at the next table – of course, seeing this they don’t believe her and they all start slurping loudly in imitation.

Later we see a woman on her deathbed who just manages to summon the strength to cook for her husband and children – presumably, it’s all she does all day – before dropping dead in front of them. Morbid black humour by this point, of course. Then, in one of the funniest scenes of the movie, we see two massive food fetishists going at it like bunnies – the bit where they pass an eggyolk from one’s mouth to the other’s goes from being almost understandable to downright bizarre after they keep doing it for more than a minute… That’s not to say that the vinaigrettes were the only good thing about the film. I already mentioned the characters of the main storyline – one memorable introduction halfway through the film, for instance, was an old man who stubbornly refuses to follow the instructions of his minder when eating – she only wanted to prevent him from choking, and, of course, he chokes. And there are some great scenes where the two main characters are snooping around trying to steal ramen preparation techniques and recipes from their main competitors; evocative of the Western genre but keeping that air of slight ridiculousness. I thought it was a great movie, essentially.

It’s certainly funny, and it explores the various themes surrounding food – its consumption, its preparation and the social mores concerning it – well, without getting too boring. Definitely worth a watch. Most importantly for me, perhaps, was the fact that watching this rekindled my interest in specifically Japanese food and film culture – a month or two later and I’ve done an interview and been offered a job in Japan to start next year, having realised that somewhere else, such as Korea or China, would be a bad idea when I know so comparatively little about it, and that I’ll regret it if I don’t end up going to Japan. It’s also just the other little things, like listening to the Japanese soundtrack to the movie and realising that I can actually understand isolated bits and pieces of the language (although annoyingly, it’s mostly the grammatical markers, and even then, only a few of them). Compare this to Korean or Chinese, of which I understand zero, and I think I’m making a wise choice in sticking with Japan… Man, I’m hungry now.

Napier Natter Hallo Napier The Soapbox At least two people have spoken to me in the last two days and asked whether the next edition of the Natter is going to be all about the spate of restaurant renovations and openings taking place in our town. When I asked why, I was told some locals are a little tired of nothing else but, yes you guessed it, the spate of restaurant renovations and openings … blah blah blah! (…and don’t forget I own one of them!!) Well, I had considering highlighting a few of the changes, but in light of the above comments decided the issue of the Crime Watch was perhaps a little more pertinent. So… no more about restaurant renovations and openings in the Natter – plenty to read about in the ‘Dorp Life!’ (including MINE!) Remember the march on the Police Station last year? The subsequent meeting(s) at the Grobbelaar Hall? It seems that, after a lot of hard work by a few local residents like Peter Borgstrom, Eddie Cassani, Carol Cooper and others, the Neighbourhood Watch is finally coming to fruition. A plan of action is now in place and final implementation is imminent.

It’s really all about a multi tiered ‘pyramid’ system. Groups of home owners/occupants will have a street representative (who will in turn report to an area representative (the town will be divided up into seven area’s). He or she will then report to a co-coordinator. Simplistically put – everyone will have a list of tel no’s and emergency info of the people around them and the street representatives will be responsible for collecting the data. The idea, simply put, is to make ourselves aware of not only our own homes, but also those around us. Should we see or hear anything out of the ordinary, we will all have access to details of the home or person involved. Expect a visit from your street representative soon – he or she will be compiling the data list as above. We ask that you please take this initiative seriously as this could help to reduce crime and ensure that each of us can sleep a little safer at night. …and on the subject of safety and security, there are now 3 types of re-chargeable, hand held, Tazser’s/Led Torch units, with pouch, available at Cow an’ Bell Gift shop (Cowan’s Properties).

Ideal as a protection deterrent, for any form of self defensive. Stormsvlei, The Crossing by Frank de Villiers Stormsvlei is just one of those places you pass on a journey to and from your destination, just another bunch of nondescript old buildings under some trees. You may have even stopped there once, for a cup of coffee at the restaurant. Stormsvlei actually has a unique past in that it owes its existence to being a place where wagons could safely get across the Sonderend river, hence developing naturally into a gathering place where that bunch of old buildings was a shop, church, post office, a repair facility for fixing wagons, the forge, and a school. Jean and I, friends and children, and what seemed like half of Napier and a sizeable portion of Cape Town, attended the previous country arts fair at Stormsvlei. We were amazed at the buzz we witnessed when we arrived there...greeted by a sculptured field as a sort of performance art/ installation. we had trouble finding a parking place. In fact it was difficult to get into some of the crowded exhibitions. Outside was crowded with all sorts of people strutting their stuff.

There were food stalls, artists exhibitions, serious, whimsical, strange happenings and strange looking people, all sorts of crafts, children’s playground, a wondrous unexpected garden attached to the restaurant (lots of water from the river). What with the odd happenings of the day, the climax was the firing of the anvil, an ancient custom among blacksmiths, to bring good luck to the forge. This entails placing the anvil in a clearing outside of the forge, putting a charge of dynamite under it and detonating it, making the anvil fly up into the air. After some false starts, the firing was accomplished with much caution, trepidation and hilarity and cheering. The old shop is still in its original condition with its old wooden counter, shelving and large wooden bins for holding flour, etc. The old forge is still functional, with its huge hand operated pair of bellows, furnace and original workbenches. Conrad Hicks, a well known blacksmith /artist will be firing the anvil and working the forge on the day. People may be invited to don the leather apron and work the bellows and have a thump at molten metal. So folks, all this excitement is going to happen again.

Here's an opportunity to help celebrate the revival and commemoration of the coming-togetherness of a place unique in the Western Cape Stormsvlei Country Art Fair & Happening - 28th of October 2012 Where once again the historical hamlet of Stormsvlei opens its doors for visitors with a country fair offering art, design, craft and food stalls and a host of fun activities in the town and on the banks of the Sonderend River. Local artists will set up Temporary Galleries in and around the various empty buildings of the ghost town. Craft and Food stalls will be scattered along the winding village streets. A stage will be set up by radio Overberg for musical entertainment and there are fun competitions planned for the day (like the moustache competition and a tug of war challenge of neighbouring towns). The blacksmith forge will be fired up with local and visiting blacksmiths showing their skills. Country cuisine and fine wines are available at Stormsvlei Restaurant. There is still space available for Galleries, Artists & Performers to participate. If you are interested please contact us! Invite your friends and neighbours... Hope to see you there - Jannie Uitlander & Ellie D.

A wolf NOT in sheep’s clothing by Sue Morley Yesterday a white bakkie drove very slowly up my driveway, then stopped in the middle and a gentleman got out. At first I thought it was my farrier, but no, this is someone I had never seen before. He introduces himself as Carl Momberg and told me he had seen the sign au naturel remedies at my front gate, and wanted to know if I could make up a herbal blend for his wolf! Hello ... at first I thought he meant a wolfhound (dog) but no, this is a real grey wolf in his bakkie. My two dogs went bananas so I got them back in the house, then walked down the driveway again to take a second look. Poor wolf had cut his tongue badly and had blood all over his teeth. I could not handle getting into the bakkie to open his mouth and take a proper look - would you have done that? Anyway - I invited this guy inside and suggested a few healing herbs mixed with some garlic flakes that might help to reduce the swelling, the infection and stop the bleeding.

I also gave him a pack of Devil's Claw tablets for rheumatism, pain and as an anti-inflammatory because the wolf's back leg was also damaged and weak. Unfortunately the owner did not have a card or phone number on him, and I would like to hear if there has been any progress in the healing. So that's my story of the week, and the first time ever that I have been asked to help a wolf in pain. Shopping Local - the debate continues. Lindy Warren says: In the last Napier Natter the Shop local matter was raised. I do find that many of the Overberg businesses and residents “buy” outside of the region and this seems unfair when we support them with our buying rands. This not only has an effect on our micro economy but has significant consequences on matters environmental! Of those guilty of such practices are our own local authority and larger businesses. Recent experiences have proven that almost anything and everything is available “locally” and at very little more than in the city. Local small and home-based businesses bring in quality products at the cost of courier or collection agency fees, yet Overberg residents choose not to buy locally. The products include printed goods, IT products, stationery, hardware and appliances.

Buying such items at “Special” prices means that: a. you have to travel to the city to purchase them b. when you have a problem you have to take a trip back to return/replace/repair (3 R’s but not the ones that matter) c. you directly impact the local economy by taking your rands out of the region d. you may end up with something that may never do the job.. Check out that store room for items that just did not work, fit or were missing that very necessary spring or nut. Retailers do not have on site support – the item gets sent away to the manufacturer or agent. Local businesses cannot support you as it will compromise the warrantee and hence the great service and repair skills pool we have, are not able to flourish. As part of our building project we have gone the extra mile to source locally for products, services and contractors thereby keeping the money in the area. However, we too were taken in recently by “specials” advertised and took a trip to Somerset West to buy certain items. Oops… now we have things that need to be returned or will just be stored or given away! Not to mention that the trip took the best part of a day and half a tank of petrol.

If we buy what is available locally and seasonal, take our own containers and reduce our use of packaging as an example; recycle as widely as possible (bring your own and return egg boxes and jam bottles comes to mind), we are more likely to achieve the really important 3 R’s that make a difference especially to the environment - RECYCLE, REUSE, REFURBISH. I recently participated in a survey titled Green Supply Management Practises and this alluded to how “green” the supply chain is in our region and in my business. A supply chain is the process we all use in sourcing, buying, making/consuming and then disposing of - in our daily lives. Next time we take you on your own Green Supply chain audit. Gratitude/Attitude Project. Rosalind Stone sent me this link to the Gratitude/Attitude Project Rosalind says: “If you have any queries please post them there as it will be easier for me to manage it from a single platform. Please feel free to share this as we need to grow our community in order to be effective”. Check it out at House to rent Available 1 November 2012.

Small holding close to Napier 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms Large open plan. Shed for storage/work area Contact Lindy 028 423 3834 SAARP Update “Salmon Fishing in the Yemen” SAARP Napier Christmas Lunch @ Pascal’s 27 November 2012- Bookings at Media House. Cost: R60. Trivial Q & A (Answers at bottom of page) A translation of Roman poet Juvenal's quote "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" inspired the title of what book, the only one of its kind in Time's 2005 list of all-time greatest novels? A rock called Heel Stone that measures 16 feet above the ground and whose previous names include Friar's Heel and Sun-stone lies outside the main entrance to what monument? What is the better known name of the annual celebration called by the locals as 'Wiesn' referring to the grounds where it is held? Velupillai Prabhakaran, whose death in 2009 ended a bloody civil war in Sri Lanka sought to create an independent state for the people of what ethnicity?

After a premiere in 1952, the creator of a certain work said the following words. Name him. “They missed the point. There’s no such thing as ... What they thought was ..., because they didn’t know how to listen, was full of accidental ... You could hear the wind stirring outside during the first ... During the second, raindrops began pattering the roof, and during the third the people themselves made all kinds of interesting ... as they talked or walked out” The 1985 Japanese comedy Tampopo was publicized as not sphagetti, but what type of western? During the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, whose secret meeting with the Soviet Ambassador Anatoly Dobrynin on Oct 27 at the Justice Department in Washington DC was key in resolving the stand-off? Marah Project Update .....supplying gift boxes to older people at Christmas time. To help funding for the project a beautiful hand made quilt is being raffled. At present the quilt is on display at Pascal's Restaurant in Sarel Cilliers Street and tickets cost R10 each. The lucky ticket number will be drawn at the end of October. Your support will be greatly appreciated.

Please note that the Marah Project is not a registered charity but a community based project. Have you met Ina? Introducing one of the newer residents of Napier, Dr Ina le Roux, the founder of the Tambani Project. While lecturing at the University of Venda, Dr le Roux researched traditional oral story telling amongst the Venda people. She is the author of several books on Venda stories and started the Tambani Project, teaching Venda women embroidery to help alleviate poverty in the region. Another great addition to our town!! Thought for the day Peace hath higher tests of manhood, than battle ever knew. - John Greenleaf Whittier Trivial Q & A - Answers The graphic novel Watchmen by Alan Moore (artist Dave Gibbons and colorist John Higgins) The novel depicts an alternate history where superheroes emerged in the 1940s and 1960s, helping the United States to win the Vietnam War.

The literal translation of Juvenal's quote is "Who will guard the guards themselves?" but it is popularly rendered as "Who watches the watchmen?" Stonehenge Oktoberfest Tamil He was the founder and leader of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a militant organization that sought to create an independent Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka. For over 25 years, the LTTE waged a violent secessionist campaign in Sri Lanka that led to it being designated a terrorist organization by 32 countries John Cage after the premiere of 4'33" It was composed in 1952 for any instrument (or combination of instruments), and the score instructs the performer not to play the instrument during the entire duration of the piece throughout the three movements (which, for the first performance, were divided into thirty seconds for the first, two minutes and twenty-three seconds for the second, and one minute and forty seconds for the third). Ramen! Robert Kennedy, who was the US Attorney General at that time In his negotiations with the Soviet Ambassador, Robert Kennedy informally proposed that the Jupiter missiles in Turkey would be removed after the crisis subsides. Have a good weekend

Question: The 1985 Japanese comedy Tampopo was publicized as not sphagetti, but what type of western?
Answer: Ramen